Page 16 - Elections

13 poll personnel die in Mirzapur following fever, high BP, says hospital

Thirteen poll personnel deployed in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur died at a hospital here following high fever and high blood pressure, its principal said on Friday. The exact reason for the deaths is being ascertained, he said. The deceased include seven home guard jawans, three sanitation workers, one clerk posted at the Chief Medical Officer's office, one chakbandi adhikaari (consolidation officer), and one peon in the home guard team, Dr Raj Bahadur Kamal, the principal of Maa Vindhyavasini Autonomous State Medical College, told PTI. They had high grade fever and high blood pressure when they were brought to the facility, he said. The region has been witnessing unusually high temperatures for the past several days. Polling is scheduled to be held in Mirzapur on Saturday.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Who are the 6 candidates up against PM Modi in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced significant competition, contending with 41 candidates in 2014 and 26 opponents in 2019. Currently, he is up against a field of six contenders

S Africa heads for 'coalition country' as partial results put ANC below 50%

South Africa was heading closer to the reality of a national coalition government for the first time Friday as partial election results put the ruling African Nation Congress well short of a majority. With more than half of votes counted across the country's nine provinces, the ANC had received just under 42% of the national vote, according to the early results as counting continued. That represented a huge drop from the 57.5% it received in the last national election in 2019, although the final results from Wednesday's election have not yet been declared. The commission that runs the election said those would be announced by Sunday, although they could come sooner. The count from more than 12,000 of the 23,000 polling stations raised the strong possibility that the ANC would need a coalition partner to form a government and reelect President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second and final term. The frenzied negotiations were likely set to start behind closed doors. The ANC was still leadin

INDIA bloc's June 1 meet to discuss preparations for counting day: Kharge

The INDIA bloc will hold an informal meeting Saturday only to discuss the preparations for the counting day on June 4 and how its leaders and workers need to stay alert, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said. He said Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has informed that she is busy with the polls that day and therefore, will not be able to attend. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here Thursday, Kharge said the meeting is being held for "our own sake" to train people and to give them information. "This is an informal meeting. In this, we will only discuss what kind of preparation we should have on the day of counting and how our people should be alert, whether it is about EVMs or the 17C form is used... Just for our own sake, we are holding this meeting to train our people and to give them information," he said. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal also said the meeting is only for discussing about the counting preparations and the

Election jitters, rate uncertainty trigger mkt tailspin for 4th day

Elections, rate cut concerns keep investors rattled

South Africans begin voting in most competitive election since apartheid

Voter dissatisfaction over high rates of unemployment and crime, frequent power blackouts and corruption in party ranks lies behind the ANC's gradual fall from grace

What's at stake in the European Parliament election due next month

Around 400 million European Union citizens go to the polls next month to elect members of the European Parliament, or MEPs, in one of the biggest global democratic events. Far-right parties are seeking to gain more power amid a rise in the cost of living and farmers' discontent, while the wars in Gaza and Ukraine are on the minds of voters. One of the biggest questions is whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will remain in charge as the most visible face of the EU. Here is a look at the upcoming election and the biggest issues at stake: WHEN IS THE VOTE? EU elections are held every five years across the 27-member bloc. This year marks the 10th parliamentary election since the first polls in 1979, and the first after Brexit. The vote takes place from June 6-9. First results can only be revealed on the evening of June 9, once polling stations have closed in all member states. HOW VOTING WORKS? The elections start on a Thursday in the Netherlands and finish o

S Africa's IEC optimistic about record turnout for nations' general polls

South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) remained optimistic that a record number of voters would show up on Wednesday for the country's general elections. At a media briefing on Tuesday evening, the IEC said it was buoyed by the 937,144 voters on the second and final day of the special voting which was scheduled for those who would be working on election day or unable to go to polling stations due to disability, old age, or other reasons. This figure is much higher than was the case in the previous elections and augurs well for an improved voter turnout tomorrow, said IEC Chief Executive Sy Mamabolo. Commending the election commission's staff, he said, We are impressed with the diligence of the electoral staff who visited voters at homes and places of confinement in order to administer home visits." "This category of voters would otherwise have been unable to record their political choices, he added. Mamabolo said the Commission, however, remained concerned about ..

Here's what PM Modi said on Kejriwal's allegations on political arrests

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that Prime Minister Modi decides who will go to jail

Black money's impact on polls to rise, should find bond alternative: Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah believes that the influence of black money will increase during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections following the Supreme Court's decision to scrap the electoral bond scheme, and said it is for Parliament to decide on an alternative. If the impact of black money rises, then an alternative should be found, he said. He told PTI in an interview on Saturday that the scheme, which allowed donors to fund political parties anonymously by purchasing bonds from the SBI, was scrapped at an important time. The Supreme Court had struck down the scheme in February, a month before the Lok Sabha elections were announced. Replying to a question on the issue, he said, "I believe and this is my guess that it will increase the influence of black money in elections and politics. When political parties submit their account for this fiscal year, then how much money is by cash donation and how much is through cheque will be known. The donation figure by cheques had reached 96 per cent

PM Sunak, Keir Starmer to hit campaign trail as UK election race begins

Both party leaders are expected to hit the campaign trail, seeking to seize the early initiative by meeting voters and delivering the messages they hope will earn them enough seats in parliament

LS polls: PM Modi predicts market surge, highlights BJP's financial reforms

In a recent interview, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on stock market performance, the rights of poor over natural resources and the West Asia conflict

Who will be the next Prime Minister after Narendra Modi? Elections 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismissed allegations from opposition leaders suggesting that he has anointed Amit Shah as his successor. But then who will be his successor? Watch the video to find out w

How social media influences Indian elections | General Elections

No matter how well you manage your screen time, you must have come across scores of political campaigns while swiping.

LS Polls: Modi, Rahul rallies; Shashi Tharoor on Swati Maliwal Row. Updates

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: PM Modi to Hold Public Meetings in UP and Delhi. Rahul Gandhi to Campaign in Haryana and 10 Other Updates for May 22

Love taking selfies? Doing so inside a polling booth could land you in jail

Rules 39 and 49M of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, uphold polling secrecy by prohibiting electronic devices and identity-revealing activities in polling stations

Lok Sabha elections: Fifth phase of polls records over 59% voter turnout

In the corresponding phase in the 2019 polls, the turnout was registered at 64.16 per cent when 51 seats across seven states went to polls

Lok Sabha polls Phase 5: Below 50% turnout till 3 pm, Mumbai lags behind

Lok Sabha polls 2024: West Bengal recorded the highest polling percentage till 3 pm at 62.72 per cent, followed by the Union Territory of Ladakh where 61.26 per cent voters had cast their votes

Indian cities struggle with labour shortage amid Lok Sabha elections

With numerous well-paying opportunities back home during LS polls, including pamphlet distribution and providing tenting, vehicle services etc., many migrant workers have returned home

Haryana: BJP, JJP face dissent as candidates campaign under police cover

Several BJP and JJP nominees have had to call off rallies due to protests, prompting heightened vigilance by intelligence agencies to prevent potential unrest